Shada

"The universe shall be me."

Writer: Douglas Adams

Format: TV (Partial Animation)

Released: December 2017

Season: 17.06

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II, K9

Synopsis

"Delicate matter, slightly. It's about a book..."

Chris Parsons is happily engrossed in studying post-graduate physics at Cambridge, when one day he finds an old book, sitting on a dusty shelf in an ageing professor's library. Written in a language nobody can read and made of a paper that can't be torn, this is no ordinary book. And when it enters his life, everything changes for young Chris Parsons.

Soon finding himself aboard an invisible space-ship, chased by monsters made of molten rock; aboard an alien prison on a distant planet and attacked by a horde of mind-control zombies. Chris also meets a strange man with a very long scarf who claims he can travel through time and space... in a police box.

It's going to be a busy day for Chris Parsons.

Verdict

Shada was a great story and a fascinating format with the mix of the originally recorded material prior to the serial being abandoned due to the BBC strikes and filling in those gaps with brand new animation. It's funky to tell the story this way and whilst I do think the transition is slightly off-putting, I think this is certainly an improved take on the serial-that-never-was compared with the version that was originally released on VHS with the more narrative style to fill in the gaps of what should have been happening between material that was recorded. One thing I did find odd was the decision to make this version a feature-length almost movie. That felt odd and I'm not really sure why the cliffhangers were omitted! It didn't hamper my enjoyment too much I just found it very perplexing and I'm not entirely sure there's much value there. In terms of the animation itself, I'm honestly not sure Doctor Who has ever looked better in this style. It was staggeringly good! The detail and the colour was second to none and the movement as well was so good. This felt like another level to nearly every other animated reconstruction there has been. I am baffled to find that this version was released in 2017 as here I am eight years later finally watching it, and I must have owned the DVD since at least 2018! Better late than never, eh? It's been nine years since I blogged that VHS version and I remembered a fair chunk which was good, although it didn't click until quite late on that Professor Chronotis was actually Salyavin. It was obvious once he used his mental powers on Clare but apparently I clocked on much earlier when I watched the VHS version back in 2016 after rereading my blog entry! I think the story is perhaps damaged by its reputation as being lost and its author. It's very good as my rating reflects but I do think it is perhaps a little too long. It could definitely benefit from an injection of pace, but the charisma is all there with the Doctor and Romana. This pairing almost certainly are my favourite TARDIS combination and their instinctive banter and chemistry is just magnificent. Their interactions with Chronotis were fantastic and he was an incredible character. The cravings for tea I had whilst watching! I would be remiss if I did not mention the outfit for Romana here because she just looked incredible. I'm not sure how happy the animators would be though! But the transitions from real footage to capturing the characters in animation was honestly seamless. I was so impressed with the likenesses. I thought Skagra made for a really strong villain and his calm demeanour was superb. I would have liked more background regarding him throughout the story instead of a quick summary at the end by the Doctor, but that scene did allow for something incredibly special. I thought the Doctor fiddling with the TARDIS interior was fun but when the camera panned to the older hands and then we got the shot of Tom Baker modern day reprising the role again it was just wonderful. Linking it into how Chronotis was viewed was just magical. Easily the highlight of the entire thing! Chris Parsons made for a really strong character and his take on science here was strong, only for it to be ripped apart. The Doctor telling him he had a lot to unlearn was marvellous. I thought the prison planet of the Time Lords makes for a wonderful idea although I do question why those imprisoned would go along with Skagra's plan to make the universe a singular mind. It's an incredible idea but if they're revered war criminals why would they want their minds altered? That felt odd and it's a shame none of them were recognisable. The use of the book was fantastic and I liked how Clare grew into things from there, and the Doctor's mind copy playing a crucial role in the conclusion was nicely done. Overall, a stunning way to complete this unfinished classic and it really is a delight that the original actors could reunite to finish their work. Kudos to all involved. A magnificent idea and a fine execution. 

Rating: 8/10